Dib in the Rainbow Factory
by Shadowdib
Summary: When Dib wakes up in Zim's lab, the last thing he expects is to be drained of color. But Zim has come across the Rainbow Factory, and as legend has it not a single soul gets through... Oneshot.


A/N This is only a crossover with the song, as both of the fanfictions differ from my version of what a few lines mean. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

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Dib blinked his eyes open, shivering. He was strapped down to a metal table, as the shackles over his arms, legs, and ankles proved. From the low lavender lighting, he seemed to be in Zim's base. Blinking, he turned his head to the side. Yep, he was in Zim's base-those pipes were certainly Irken, as the invader symbol that Dib had long since memorized was so prominently displayed on the tops.

"ZIM!" he called. Might as well get this over with. He squinted at a large machine ahead of him- it had the more basic Irken symbol in white on the front, although the circle in the middle was a dark pink not unlike his alien rival's uniform and had 'Zim' in bold letters. There was a white band under the symbol-probably a screen or loading bar of some sort. Red, curved lines and yellow bars danced on the upper half, and the very top was colored lilac. A quick patter of footsteps echoed around the metal walls, the sound making Dib shudder like someone had started rubbing a balloon.

"Ah, the Dib-thing is awake." Zim's voice announced smugly as the Irken came into view. Dib instantly started struggling against his metal restraints.

"What's that thing? How did I get here? What are you going to do with me? Huh? Huh?" Dib shouted, the words spilling across the thick underground air as they scrambled over each other in a desperate attempt to be heard. Zim only chuckled.

"I sedated you while you'd fallen asleep outside my base. Dragging your filthy meat-body down here was no picnic, but of course I accomplished it. As for what I'm going to do with you…." He chuckled louder, sounding more like a cackle. Sweat dripped down the back of Dib's head as he grew more nervous. Zim usually bragged about everything he did, if he wasn't going to talk then this could be serious…. The alien flipped a switch, and white light flooded the room. Dib squinted, letting his eyes adjust before taking another look around. Next to the pipes was a floating screen rimmed in blue with a red highlight on the silver corners not unlike the one that Membrane used at home, but instead of a picture of his head there were all the colors of the rainbow splashed across it. In slightly loopy black letting, the words 'Rainbow factory' flickered on and off in the middle. Swallowing, Dib looked back at Zim, who was grinning maliciously.

"R-rainbow factory?" Dib stuttered, his previous brave facade nearly gone. Zim only smirked wider at seeing his young enemy so uncomfortable and afraid.

"Yes, rainbow factory…" Zim started slowly reciting a few lines from something, the sleek and creepy words sliding right off his long tongue as he almost sang the words in a lower pitch then the Irken normally used.

"The answer is in a simple facility… In the rainbow factory, where all your fears and horrors come true…" He walked smoothly over to Dib, who by now was shaking. "In the rainbow factory, where _not a single soul gets through_." At the last six words, he backed up again before pressing a small, dark purple button. Dib's shivers grew to fully fledged shakes as the table underneath him lit up like a printing press.

"W-what's happening?" He gasped, feeling his toes go numb. Zim didn't even turn around, but his cackle was answer enough as Dib strained to see over the chest that was attempting to heave air into his strained lungs. To his shock, his boots were slowly turning white. Not white, like a sheet of paper that has miniscule spots in it, but white like a bleached bone with nothing else-no speck of color, just pure, hopeless, pallid white. Dib somehow knew, deep down, that this was it. He pulled against his chains desperately, but they were too strong for his skinny arms.

"Hi'ya master! Mary!" Sang a voice from somewhere to his left. Dib shifted his head to see Zim's little robot thing. The robot stared at Dib's feet. "Ooh, you's all white-y!" He seemed content to simply watch the spectacle.

"Come on Zim… Zim? ZIM!" Dib pleaded as the light finished with his boots. Everything from his ankles down was totally numb, as if it had been amputated, and was the pure white. It had moved slowly on to his pants, and the odd sensation continued. By the time it had passed his knees, Dib was starting to lose hope. He peered up, taking another look at the apparently deadly machine. A curved bar was above Zim's twitching antennae, colored with his pale peach skin, the blue of his socks that had been hidden under his boots, and the black of everything else. "Zim, d-don't…" It was up to his waist now. Craning his neck, Dib could see the loading bar across the lower half spelled 'Spectra download 48%'. Turning his head to the right, one of the clear tubes was spilling out the three colors into a large vat. Dib dropped his head. _I can't believe it… it's come to this… no final fight, nothing, just… defeat…_

"Do you have any last words, Dib-filth? I'm making you nice and clean." Zim smirked, his sarcastic and biting tone ringing with smug victory. Dib struggled to lift his head one last time. By now the light had washed over his midsection, and his heart was beating five times too fast as if to make up for the time it would miss. Zim's arrogant tone was the last thing he heard as he forced two last words out of his paling lips as the table claimed the last bit of color in his body, his head.

"You… jerk…."

* * *

Zim studied Dib. He was as white as new-fallen snow, and his gently closed eyes had a tone of peace to them. He snapped his fingers, and the boy's body slowly rose, the hands dangling to the side. His eyes snapped open, but they were nothing but a small blank square in the sea of total whiteness.

"Get up." Zim commanded, and Dib slid slowly off the table, his slender body resembling a well-drawn sketch brought to life. He blinked, taking care to use a few seconds to complete the action. The preteen stood absolutely still. "Who are you?" Zim demanded, wanting to see if the process had worked completely.

"I am whatever you wish to make me. I am a clean slate." The boy intoned instantly and obediently, his voice emotionless, not even an echo remaining of the spunk, hope, and fight it used to hold. Zim cackled loudly, the boy not even reacting as across the room the vat of color pulsed and seethed, all of Dib's life drowning with it. For he'd been through the Rainbow Factory… where not a single soul gets through.

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A/N I was inspired by a picture by InvaderLez on DA that had Dib strapped into the Rainbow Factory. Since I'd always loved the song, and Dib (although this certainly doesn't show it, does it?) I just had to make this. It was way too fun. XD All characters belong to Jhonen Vasquez, the Ranbow Factory song belongs to WoodenToaster.


End file.
